The Up-and-Coming Personalities of Instagram Reels

By: Hanna Alwine, Staff Writer

I would like to be the first to call the advent of an Instagram Reels Renaissance. For far too long, Tiktok has been held up as the superior short-form video app. While I have been deeply opposed to Instagram Reels in the past, lately I have been receiving innovative, cutting-edge, largely experimental Instagram Reels via my For-You Page. In light of this, I have decided to break my silence in support of the medium. 

We, as an Oberlin student body, need to recognize this shift, and call attention to the ways in which our Instagram feeds are changing for the better. As you begin your foray into the wondrous sights, sounds, and videos of Instagram Reels, here are some major players you should be looking out for. 

Jeremy Fragrance @jeremyfragrance 

“The Number 1 Fragrance Icon That Follows the Teachings Of Jesus” 

Follower Count: 1.9M 

Though Jeremy Fragrance is explicit about the way Christianity influences his life in his Instagram bio, his content does not proselytize, at least not in the name of a higher power. Instead, Jeremy Fragrance finds the divine in scents. From German boyband “Part Six” to starting his own fragrance empire to declaring an unrealized run for German chancellor in November 2023, Jeremy Fragrance is a multi-faceted and controversial figure within the Instagram Reels sphere. 

Unlike traditional Instagram Reels influencers Fragrance’s Reels are not limited to the promotion of merchandise. While he does promote certain fragrances, including his own brand “Fragrance One” which claims to have been “launched by thousands of people on Kickstarter,” he is more largely known for the eccentric, unabashed character he presents in his videos. 

Always dressed in white, more often than not shirtless in white skinny jeans, Fragrance is known on Instagram for his passionate promotion of perfumes and fragrance, spirited dancing, cultural commentary, and, since his rise in popularity, meetings with fans where he guesses the scents they are wearing. With his intense stare and high energy, his comment section is never empty of speculations that he is on cocaine. 

Personally, I think Jeremy Fragrance is just high on life! 

Tim Pearce @carnegiemnh

Follower Count: 94.3K

Though officially run by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, it is the regular appearance of Tim Pearce, the museum’s resident mollusk expert, on their Reels that makes this account worth checking out. 

Tim Pearce is the grandfather you always wished you had. He appears in his Reels dressed in the uniform of the elderly man — a pair of khakis, a button down, small black framed spectacles, a neatly trimmed white beard. Tim Pearce always looks as if he could sit down for a long chat over tea and a game of chess. 

He starts every Reel the same way: 

“Hi, I’m Tim Pearce from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History with a snail joke for you!” 

Some of his best include: 

What do you call a snail riding on the back of a turtle? A thrill seeker!

Why are snails so gullible? They never take anything with a grain of salt!

A snail went to the car dealer and said I would like to buy a car only if you will paint the letter S on the side of the car for me. The dealer said, “Of course, but why do you want the letter S on the side of your car.” The snail said, “So when my friends see me driving down the street they’ll look at me and say, Look at that S-car go!” 

Recently, Tim Pearce has been running out of snail jokes. In truth, there are only so many jokes you can tell about snails. Now, he has migrated to mollusks and even clams! If you are looking for the golden age of Tim Pearce, I would recommend scrolling back a couple months to get a true sense of what he has to offer. 

Nolan Reid @nreid7

“Video creator / Hope you learned something” 

Follower Count: 151K 

Nolan Reid is the most average man in America. He has a square face, brown hair, clear skin. He owns a baseball cap. Sometimes he wears sunglasses. 

So why give him a follow? Nolan Reid has America’s most perfect mustache. 

And he knows it. Imagine the platonic ideal of a mustache. Bushy. Perfectly curled up at the corners. Waxed to perfection. Looks like it came right out of the 2010s. Now in your imagination, put that mustache on the face of some guy. That’s Nolan Reid. Some guy with a mustache. 

(Since following Reid, I find myself waking up in the morning wishing for a mustache. I start every day knowing that this dream will never come true.)

Recently, perhaps because, like snails, there is only so much content you can make about your mustache, Reid has begun branching out. Instead of mustaches, Reid’s content is now largely about drinking beer, more often than not on the porch or with the guys. A nine day series follows Reid as he gives you “photo ideas when taking pics with a beer.” He signs off each Reel, “hope you guys learned something.” Reid is nothing if not polite. 

Veronika Slowikowska @veronika_iscool

“clown emoji” 

Follower Count: 422K 

Perhaps the biggest up-and-coming Instagram Reels star I’ve seen on the app, chances are, if you’re on Instagram Reels, you’re already following her. Not a personality to be boxed in, Veronika does it all. From music videos to character work to a multi-season, cross-genre, experimental Reels series that follows roommates Veronika and Kyle as they navigate young adult life, pranks, love, and clones, Veronika is doing things with Instagram Reels that no one else is. 

Honorable Mentions: 

Brian Pankey @brianpankeyofficial 

Follower Count: 1,549

“World Class Juggler Featured on America’s Got Talent, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Gong Show, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Ellen, Tosh.O, MTV & AFV” 

Brian Pankey is the fastest apple biting juggler in the world. As he juggles apples, he takes a bite out of each one. I can’t possibly do the feat justice in mere words. You have to go watch. Seriously. Pull out your phone right now. How does he do it???

James Welborn @texas_fooddude

“Howdy! I’m James! Full-time Foodie, part time joke teller, Lifelong Texan!” 

Follower Count: 36.8K 

Shot from the front seat of his car, James Welborn takes the Instagram Reels scene by storm with his dad jokes. Never more than 30 seconds long, brevity and kindness are at the key of his creative practice. With his thick Southern accent and affective spirit, you can’t help but smile at Welborn’s signature sign off: “All right! Y’all take care! Bye!” 

Xander @xandus17 

“gamign” 

Xander is just beginning to break into the Instagram Reels scene, coming across my page only once or twice. Though I’m not yet ready to throw my full support behind him, I see promise in his no-nonsense graphic t-shirt reviews which evolve into intense deliberations into what he’s been thinking about including innovative solutions to the deflation of the American dollar and the ethics of monkey representation. 

As the weather warms, Spring Break starts, and making decisions that center productivity become increasingly difficult, I would suggest that you take some of your time off to intentionally peruse Instagram Reels. If these accounts don’t float your boat, not to worry. There are hundreds of thousands of other accounts out there vying for your profitable attention. 

Stand down TikTok. There’s a new Sheriff in town.